1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparel which has means for supporting intrusive devices. More particularly, it relates to apparel which has a garment attachment means connected to a strip of fabric on the apparel garment and an intrusive device connector connected to the garment attachment means.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following is representative of hospital garments that hold intrusive devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,186 relates to a hospital garment which comprises finished slits with fasteners extending the entire length from the collar down the entire length of the sleeve to the wrist portion of the gown. This structure allows the placement and removal of intravenous apparatus as well as surgery applying or changing bandages without the necessity of removing the gown or cutting it apart. A similar garment is provided for the lower portion of a patient's body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,268 to Freeman describes and illustrates a patient's garment which is suitable for various medical procedures, which will give the patient a sense of dignity and well-being. The patient's garment has a body portion and sleeves. The body portion includes a main panel, which can be positioned to either the front or rear side of the patient and a pair of adjacent side panels, which would normally be positioned on the other side of the patient. The outer side edges of the side panels are joined together in overlapping relationship when the garment is worn by the patient by a plurality of vertical spaced apart fasteners. The sleeves are sewn to the body portion, and the top of each sleeve is provided with an openable seam having adjacent mating edges which extend from the neck of the patient over the patient's shoulder and down along the arms. The mating edges can be held together in overlapping relationship by a plurality of spaced apart hook and loop fasteners. The fasteners can be opened to facilitate various hospital procedures such as X-rays, thorax and upper abdomen examinations, and I.V. therapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,062 to Schneider describes and illustrates a re-usable intravenous catheter holder, which is in the shape of a cut-off tank body garment that is fitted securely around the patient's chest by an elastic band around the base of the garment. The holder supports a catheter tube and coupling which protrudes form the patient's chest. The design also provides a means whereby the shoulder strap of the garment may be opened to allow access to the catheter without removal of the holder, while maintaining constant shape of the holder. Also, the holder may be worn or removed by the patient without experiencing discomfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,508 to Pavelka discloses a garment for holding, supporting, and receiving certain indwelling catheters, e.g. a Hickman catheter or similar device to a patient's body. The garment is generally comprised of three elements including strips to hold the garment securely to patient's body and a pocket element within which to store the catheter. Fastening means are provided to connect the elements, the means being of various types. The garment is made of various material including disposable or throwaway material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,285 to Roberts discloses an apparatus for holding a catheter of a type having a flexible tube which can have one end thereof which extends into a large vein near a heart. The tube has a closure cap on the other end thereof for allowing the introduction of medication or fluids into the blood in the tube so that they can be quickly mixed with blood for permitting blood to be quickly with drawn therefrom. An elongated, flexible, elastic member is adapted to extend completely around the chest of a person and over the flexible tube at the location where the tube exits the body. Hook and loop closure members are provided on the flexible members for holding the tube in a coiled position adjacent the flexible member. The flap is provided with hook and loop fasteners for selectively covering up the coiled tube when not is use, but allowing easy access to the tube for adding medications, drawing blood, or to change the entire securing apparatus from time to time so that it can be washed, cleaned and re-used. Also, elastic has hook and loop fasteners on the ends thereof so that it can be easily stretched and fastened around the chest.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,289 to Villapiano describes and illustrates security garments that are provided for retaining catheters and other types of tubing in place. The security garments are in the form of undershirts, brassieres, vests, or sleeves, and include fastening means to retain the catheters and tubing in place without vertical or horizontal movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,668 to Gross et al. relates to a post-surgical garment for use following breast or chest surgery wherein the garment has straps having a length of hook and loop material attached at overlapping ends whereby an individual user drapes the garment over the shoulders and extends the back straps down the front where the ends of the mating shoulder stapes are secured with hook and loop material at a comfortable user selectable length which may be about half way between the top of the patient's shoulder and the patient's breasts. The main body of the garment is open in the center and also having, overlapping ends having a length of hook and loop material attached thereon, is secured at the front. Another length of hook and loop material is located along the hem of the garment which acts as means for attaching a number of attachable and detachable bags provided as mean for holding the collection devices, bags or e.g., a chemotherapy pump, depending on the therapy, or are themselves collections bags and each bag having a strap permanently attached thereon to the external surface of the bag and having a length of hook and loop material located on each end of the strap whereby each strap can retain a number of tubes passing between the bag and the point of surgery on the patient's body. Also located on the inner/rear of the garment within the cup area of the garment is a pocket for inserting and retaining a prosthesis when applicable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,187 to Siegel describes and illustrates multipurpose medical clothing, such as a gown or robe, that safely accommodates medical appliances attached to a patient, which affords privacy, and thus encourages the patient to be up and ambulatory. The illustrated gown embodiment includes rectangular front and back panels open at the sides, belting, inside and outside pockets, and inside and outside hangers. The panels are of equal width greater than average human shoulder width to provide sleeves when worn. The belting extends from the back panel around the sides lower and is tied in front. The front panel is slightly shorter than the back so that the panels are of about the same height when the gown is worn and belted. The pockets are attached to the inside and outside of the front pane below the belt line at substantially the same height and in transversely spaced relation to each other. The hangers are attached to the inside and outside, respectively, below the inside and outside pockets. The gown accommodates various medical appliances such as: a telemetry transmitter with its sensors attached to a patient and its leads passing under the tied belting to relieve the pressure on the sensors; a catheter unit hung form either the inside or outside hangers, and thus below the patient's bladder, with its tubing coiled and supported on the hangers; and IV tubing threaded through one of the oops formed by hangers and thus supported between an adjacent mobile stand and the patient.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.